(i) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of acyclic ethyleneamines by reacting at least one of ammonia and ethylenediamine with monoethanolamine, and it also relates to a process for reactivating a catalyst having a deteriorated performance which has been used in the above-mentioned reaction.
(ii) Description of the Prior Art
Ethyleneamines have been heretofore manufactured by reacting 1,2-dichloroethane with ammonia or reacting monoethanolamine with ammonia in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst [Isao Ono, Chemical Economics, No. 6, p. 20-27 (1979)]. In the former process, sodium chloride as a by-product is produced in an amount of up to twice the molar amount of ethylenediamine and vinyl chloride monomer is also secondarily produced, which means that a great cost is required to dispose of these by-products. In addition, an apparatus to be used tends to be appreciably corroded with chlorine ions. In the latter process referred to above, useless cyclic amines are produced in an amount of up to 20%, and for this reason, the aforesaid process is also unsatisfactory to manufacture the useful acyclic ethyleneamines.
In recent years, another process for the manufacture of ethyleneamines has been reported which comprises the step of reacting ammonia or ethylenediamine with monoethanolamine in the presence of a phosphorus-containing material (e.g., Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Nos. 61-183249, 51-147600 and 60-78945). However, the catalyst (phosphorus-containing material) used in this process has a drawback that its life is short, though the selectivity of the acyclic ethyleneamines is high.